Trump insists the U.S. must take control of Greenland to prevent Russia or China from doing the same — an argument Beijing dismissed Monday as "an excuse" to pursue territorial ambitions.

President Donald Trump is not the first U.S. government official interested in Greenland. The first major attempt to control the island was in 1868.

A remark by senior Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev has put Greenland back in global focus. It has added strain to an already tense Arctic debate. He suggested Greenland’s residents could vote to join Russia.

President Trump argued the U.S. must acquire Greenland to prevent Russia or China from taking over, claiming Arctic territory has minimal defenses amid rising geopolitical tensions.

Britain is discussing with NATO allies how to enhance Arctic security against Russia and China. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said Sunday that these talks are routine and not a response to U.S.

As the Earth warms, new shipping routes from one side of the globe to the other are opening around Greenland, making the vast island a strategic priority for superpowers.

Nordic diplomats rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's claims of Russian and Chinese vessels operating near Greenland, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

Trump allies have cited the island's continued role in missile defense infrastructure, accusing Denmark of leaving it vulnerable to potential Russian and Chinese influence.

U.S. President Donald Trump has made an American takeover of Greenland a focus of his second term in the White House.